


Nightmares

by Shyclipse



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Child Soldiers, Fluffy Ending, M/M, kinda PTSD stuff, out of character probs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 18:33:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17772050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shyclipse/pseuds/Shyclipse
Summary: Kayn keeps having bad nightmares regarding his past, and only one person can truly help him q-q





	Nightmares

The air was sickly.  
Salty.  
Sour.  
The waves that crashed against the wooden panels of the boat were loud, deafening. Orders were barked left and right, loud voices barely audible over the gushing waters beneath. The battle ship creaked, rocking dangerously on the aggressive sea, causing its sails to flap and wriggle in the strong wind. The skies above were dark and mysterious, nothing to be seen except for the outlines of grimacing clouds. Small droplets of water fell from the heavens above, beginning to soak the boat and the occupants inside. The passengers had already been housed inside the boat for over two weeks, a fortnight of staring at dark skies. However, this was no usual battle ship. This ship was not filled with soldiers, with gleaming golden armour and sharpened swords. Not soldiers that had been trained for years upon the art of war and combat. But soldiers who were nothing but children.

~~~

Gasping for air, Kayn sprang up in his bed. He lifted a clawed hand and pressed it hard against his chest. Tendrils of long ebony hair stuck to his back and face, his blue and black bangs hugged his cheeks in a desperate attempt for comfort. His toned chest rose and fell erratically as Kayn attempted to tame his mane. Glancing around his small bedroom, nothing could be seen except for the outline of his Scythe, Rhaast, highlighted by the rays of the moon seeping through his window. He steadied himself in his bed, wiping his sweaty brow with the back of his human hand. Even though he tried to recall what had awoken him, nothing came to him. His mind was blank. Reluctantly, Kayn fell back down amongst his bed sheets, grasping them tightly. With one last scan of his room, he closed his eyes, attempting to return to sleep.

~~~

They were packed like sardines.  
Short.  
Tall.  
Fat.  
Skinny.  
The children’s stature didn’t matter to the Noxians, as long as they could hold a weapon in their trembling fingers, they would be used. Used as fodder for the canons. Used as ammunition for their battles. Their origins didn’t matter either; whether they were the orphans of Noxus or sold illegally from the slums of Zaun, nobody cared. Piled onto the ship, the children hid under the deck, away from the deckhands that would occasionally beat them. Away from the frightening scenes above, the children huddled together, possibly for warmth, and maybe for comfort. Anything to help with the foreign reality of what was happening to them. Many had no idea of what was to come, a few had crippled under the stress of being taken away from their familiar surroundings. However, one of the children did understand. A small thin boy, no older than ten years, was huddled up in a dark dusty corner. He had heard some men talking when he was on the deck of the ship, sweeping the wooden floor boards. They were discussing plans of battle, grisly tales of wars past and how this next skirmish would play out. The boy had glanced up and was met face to face with a man. Towering over him, his dark hair shone in the sun, a wisp of grey all slicked back. A singular scar over his left eye, a furrowed brow causing his eyes to scrunch up in disgust. He sneered at the boy before turning away.

~~~

A loud bang awoke Kayn, his eyes lazily opening to look over at his bedroom door. A moment passed before another knock was heard. Pulling himself out of his bed, he made note of how high the sun was in the sky through his window. He muttered a curse to himself as he wrapped his dark fur cloak over his shoulders, helping him look slightly more presentable. He stepped forwards, reaching towards the door handle and opening it. Before him stood one of his elders, Shen. Despite the mask that covered the lower half of his face, Kayn could still see the annoyance plastered all over his features. Shen scowled at the young man through crystal blue eyes, his muscular arms crossed over his chest.  
“You are late, again, Kayn.” He spoke sternly, yet without raising his voice. Kayn cracked a weak smile, raising a hand to push back the bangs that had fallen into his face.  
“Ah… Yeah, uhm… I slept pretty badly again last night.” Kayn replied, looking away from Shen’s piercing gaze. The ninja relaxed a small amount, allowing his arms to drop to his sides.  
“This is the second time this week. I can’t even recall the amount of times this has happened over the past month.” The words coming from Shen seemed caring, yet still with a sharp edge.  
“Well, I’m sorry Shen, I’ll try and fix it for tomorrow.” Kayn retorted, the sentence falling too easily from his lips. It wasn’t the first time he had to try and excuse himself from this reoccurring situation. Shen sighed and nodded slowly; it was clear he didn’t believe Kayn would correct himself, or be able to for that matter. The young man was easily the best assassin throughout the order, however he didn’t come without his demons.

~~~

For the first time in weeks, the ship had stopped. No longer did it rock uneasily on the aggressive waters. The familiar cawing of the gulls flying above had been long forgotten, and in place of them was a new, exotic type of bird. Unfortunately, this was not the time for exciting adventures, discovering new species and having fun. The children aboard the ship began to understand this. As the ship abruptly crashed against the shore, all of the occupants stumbled. Swaying back and forth for a moment, the men in charge shouted commands at the child soldiers. Instructing them to find weapons of any sort, to attack on sight, to murder. Their time of innocence had come to an end. Like a biblical scene, a flood of small warriors charged down the wooden ramps, water splashing under their heels as they ran. They had no choice. It was either follow their Noxian commanders and attack, or turn back and be slaughtered by their own blood. Running with fear, the children witnessed multiple ships dock at the coastlines of Ionia. They were not the only ones ripped away from their once naïve lives.

~~~

Kayn did not sleep that night. He refused to. Whilst the rest of the Order of Shadows slept soundly in their beds, he perched on his windowsill. He had forbidden his nightmares from interfering with his daily training. Eyes fixated on a lone tree in the courtyard below, he waited out the hours and minutes until sunrise.

~~~

The battle lasted for two days, if it could’ve even been described as a battle.  
No.  
A massacre was a much more fitting description. After the army of children had ran from the shore, they scoured the lands nearby for anything to attack. A number of the infant soldiers had already succumbed to the unforgiving landscape of Ionia, falling down cliffs or sticking in pools of mud. Gasping for air as they sprinted, the clatter of flimsy swords and tools was the only distinctive sound to be heard. They came across small shacks of farmers, who were cut down within seconds. The livestock that they protected were also attacked, a carpet of bodies regardless of their species littered the open fields.  
The army was never ending, even if the farmers had cut down the children, more were to follow. More ships crashed against the shore side, more ammunition for Noxus’s plans. Eventually, the children stumbled upon villages, who’s occupants would put up a fight as best they could. With pitchforks and torches, the number within the Noxian army began to dwindle, however they were still too much. The following day, the Order of Shadows had been notified.  
Their assassins descended from the temple they resided in, ghastly shapes of nothing but shadows creeping down through the forests, weaving their way through the trees. Once they arrived on the battlefield, the shadows dipped and dived, slicing down the children who threatened their lands. The infants outnumbered them greatly, yet their lack of training didn’t give them any advantage in comparison to the assassin’s many years with their craft. Within the next few hours, a blanket of bodies began to cover the lands surrounding them.

~~~

Once again, Kayn did not show up to his morning training session. Finally submitting to his exhaustion, he had fallen asleep propped up against his window. It was now midday, and as Shen had expected Kayn was no where to be seen. Just as he was about to go collect the boy, one of the other elders at the temple had appeared. A man that he saw as a brother, a man that Kayn saw as his god.

~~~

Hidden behind a large rock, the small fragile boy sat crouched. A pool of blood and muck circled the Noxian orphan, a dark sea preparing to engulf him. He hadn’t eaten in days, no water to be found had left him parched. He daren’t move from his hiding spot, fearing what may be on the other side. What he had witnessed the past few days had shaken him beyond comparison. The claustrophobic spaces aboard the ship, the commanding officers threatening their lives if they did not follow their orders. The look in the eyes of the farmers and villagers that he and countless other child soldiers had cut down. The intense fear. The loss of hope.  
He felt it all now.  
He had fought through the soldiers that the Ionians had sent to contest the invasion. Slashing ankles and tendons, slitting throats and stabbing chests, anything for his own survival. The screams of those Ionian soldiers, blood curdling yelps of pain as they fell. When he saw the shadow assassins descend upon the warzone, he hid, shaking with fear. Although he couldn’t see the scenes unfold, he could hear the high-pitched squeals and squeaks from the children as they were killed with silver blades. It all played like a twisted horror film in the boy’s mind, repeatedly on loop, never ending.  
Finally gathering the courage to look up from his hiding spot, he peered out over the battlefield and saw a silhouette of a man.

~~~

Zed. The master of shadows. The leader of the Order of Shadows.  
Taking a break from his usual routine of meditation, he had left his study and began to walk the long corridors of the temple. He had heard through glimpses of others’ conversations that Kayn had not been attending his training sessions with Shen. This angered the master, with knowing how skilled Kayn was, he was displeased that the boy did not seem to take his training seriously. The fact that the master also had a personal soft spot for his student didn’t help the matter either. Zed felt the need to intervene.  
Soft footsteps were the only sound in the empty corridors of the dormitories. Shadows whispered, watching as Zed made his way to his students’ bedroom. He stood before the room for a few moments, studying the plain wooden door as he thought. It was inappropriate for Zed to visit Kayn in such a way, yet he did not care. Knowing Kayn would appreciate the gesture, he removed his metal helmet, taking it down from his face and held it by his side. Snowy white hair flicked upwards, short wisps gasping for breath from under the helmet. Zed raised his hand and knocked twice on the door with his knuckles. Listening carefully, he heard no movement from inside the room.

~~~

The boy cowered. He was petrified.  
He was sure that everyone was gone. No one seemed to be still alive on the battlefield. The only bodies that he could see were lifeless. Their eyes were dull, mouths open in shock. Whether they were Ionian or Noxian, they had all been led to the same fate. After the mysterious figures, all dressed in dark uniforms, had swept over the warzone, an eerie silence was left behind. It had been another day or so since then, it was hard to keep track of time.  
The silhouette moved closer.  
Another step into the sludgy mud. Another step into a puddle of blood. Another step over a child’s body.  
The black-haired boy felt the adrenaline pump through his veins. Whilst the battle itself was a scaring experience, this was different. Within the waves of other child soldiers, he felt somewhat hidden, anonymous. That was, until they began to fall around him, and he was the only one left still fighting fearlessly. Yet now, he felt exposed, out in the open for this man to butcher. For this man to finally finish the invasion on his homelands. The boy looked around desperately. The silver sword he had been using was discarded to the side in multiple pieces. A glimmer caught his eye, seeing a thin scythe grasped in a cold, pale hand. He quickly picked away the skinny fingers, grabbing the handle and holding it close to his chest.  
If this man was here to take his life, he would at least put up a fight.

~~~

Zed knocked again, hoping this time a response would be produced. However, it was fruitless once again. Knowing that he should turn away, curiosity caught the better of him and made him change his mind. Closing his eyes, he stepped forward into the wall, his body dispersing into shadows. He quickly glanced up, now looking into Kayn’s bedroom. In front of him, two yards or so ahead of him, his student slept on the window sill. Whilst he was still irritated that the young man had skipped on his studies, Zed thought it was best to leave him. Just as he was about to retreat from the shadows and back through the wall, he heard a small muffled noise. Listening carefully, Zed noticed that the noise came from Kayn. He took a step forward, one foot landing silently on the wooden floorboards. Another noise was heard, this time more of a startled yelp. Zed took another step forward, now fully in Kayn’s room, and walked closer to him.  
Kayn was quite clearly asleep, yet it did not seem like a comfortable slumber. His eyes were twitching under the sheath of his eyelids. Lips parted slightly, odd whimpers and whispers passed through. Zed felt torn, for once, he didn’t know what to do. As he looked up at Kayn’s face once more, he noticed something he did not see before.

~~~

As the silhouette began to advance further forwards, the boy scrambled up, using the rock to keep himself steady. He was weak, drained and exhausted. But he would still fight if his life depended on it. His small heart drummed against his chest, heavy painful thumps of fear. Mist laid over the field, making it hard to pick out any features of the man as he proceeded forwards. Seconds felt like hours, minutes felt like lifetimes, as the boy watched the man slowly come towards him. The boy winced as he stood, he had a deep cut in his thigh that was bleeding, causing him to lose his balance and fall back down into the dirt beneath him. His grip on the scythe failed, dropping it in front of him. He crawled forwards to retrieve the weapon, yet as he reached out his trembling hand, an armoured boot emerged before him. He looked up, frozen in time.  
He was met face to face with the man. He had a scar travelling horizontally across his nose, deep red eyes and ivory white hair. His face expressed very little emotion. The boys face, on the other hand, was full of fear, yet also determination. He grabbed the scythes’ handle and briskly drew it upwards, pointing it at the man.  
“S-Stay back!” he shouted, his young voice quivering slightly.  
The man did not speak nor move, instead he simply studied the boy. Looking over his frail limbs and tired sunken eyes, he raised a single hand with an open palm, showing that he was no threat.  
“You’re alone out here, everyone else is dead.” The man spoke calmly, looking over his shoulder at the chaotic scenes behind him. Still the boy didn’t move, scythe pointed at the elder. Silence fell for a few moments, the boy still crouched in the dirt.  
“What is your name?” The man finally spoke again.  
“…K-Kayn.” He hesitantly replied.  
“Come with me.”

~~~

 Zed hadn’t noticed it at first, but as he stepped closer to the sleeping man, he observed that his eyes were wet with tears. Thin streaks plummeting down his cheeks as he painfully slept. Zed felt his heart tear into two, never before had he seen his student cry. He reached his gloved hand forwards, a metallic claw wiping away a falling tear. Kayn looked distressed, his face was screwed up and he began to whimper louder, his chest rising and falling quickly.  
“Kayn?” Zed spoke into the cold room, moving his hand from Kayn’s face to his bare shoulder, nudging him slightly. Zed waited for a response but received none. He shook Kayn’s shoulder once again, scanning the face of the younger man, the discomfort was evident. Unable to just leave him be, Zed tried to wake him, crouching in front of him and placing his hands on both of Kayn’s toned shoulders. Kayn’s whimpers became sobs, the sunlight streaming through the windows caused his tears to glisten. As the master of shadows was about to call out Kayn’s name once more, something interrupted him.  
“...Z… Z-Zed, help.” It was incredibly quiet, but audible. Kayn was calling for his master within his nightmare. The elder’s chest hurt with empathy, as he grabbed his student and pulled him towards him, snapping him out of his nightmare. Kayn awoke to find his face being pressed against his master’s warm torso. The ebony haired man sat still for a few moments, sniffing away his tears and adjusting to the bright light from the sun. Zed gently stroked the top of Kayn’s head, running his fingers through the shorter hairs to soothe him. The pair sat for a few moments, holding each other on the window sill.  
“Better now?” Zed spoke quietly, arching his neck to gaze down at Kayn. The assassin gazed back up at Zed, their faces only inches apart. Their eyes met; Zed’s intense red iris’s looked at the younger persistently yet lovingly. Kayn parted his lips to speak, stumbling for a few seconds before he found the words.  
“I… I don’t remember it… The dream, I-“ He stammered, his cheeks glowing a faint shade of rose. But before he could finish his sentence, Zed had leaned forwards and planted a soft, sweet kiss on Kayn’s lips. He flinched slightly due to the unexpected response, however he accepted the kiss gladly. Within seconds, the fear and pain Kayn had felt previously disappeared, melting away like icy snow on a warm day. And just like snow, Kayn melted into Zed, pressing himself further into the man. They parted for breath, a small smile creeping its way onto Kayn’s lips. Zed wrapped his arms around his lover tighter, squeezing him almost.  
“It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember it, it’s gone and won’t hurt you anymore. I’m here.”  
Hearing those words, Kayn’s heart leapt for joy in his chest. He nestled his head against Zed’s muscular chest and closed his eyes, breathing in the musky scent of his master.  
“Master, stay with me…? Please..” Kayn whispered into Zed’s chest, not daring to look up as his cheeks were now burning scarlet. A low chuckle was felt through Zed’s torso as he stroked Kayn’s long knotted hair.  
“Of course. You’re mine, and mine to look after.”  
Zed placed another soft kiss onto Kayn’s forehead, as the younger man slowly drifted off into the most peaceful sleep he had had in years.

**Author's Note:**

> soooo,,, first time posting here lmao,,  
> hope ppl like this!! I do plan to write more stuff, specifically for kayn n zed :3  
> any feedback is super welcome <3


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